This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

Why Historical Insurance Policies May Be Accessible

Pre-1986 Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies were occurrence-based and did not contain an effective pollution exclusion in Washington. If contamination occurred while those policies were active, those historical insurance carriers may still have a legal obligation to fund the cleanup costs, even if the business closed or the property changed hands.

Contamination at this site reflects the cumulative residue of routine industrial operations — diesel spills, lubricant releases, and paint overspray from ongoing milling activity — rather than any single, discrete incident. That pattern of incremental, operations-driven contamination is precisely what occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued before 1986 were written to cover, before effective pollution exclusions became standard. Carriers who issued CGL policies to the lumber mill operator during its pre-1986 operating years may bear a share of the investigation and remediation costs the property now faces.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful coverage claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage. Restorical then manages the claim, including accounting, to ensure the cleanup is funded in a timely manner.